Fish escalator

ABSTRACT

An enclosed endless conveyor-type fish elevator for carrying fish upstream over or through a dam. The elevator includes a pair of parallel tubular passageways having one set of identical corresponding transverse dimensions and a second set of different corresponding dimensions. An endless chain is disposed at each pair of corresponding sides of the passageways and each chain is arranged in generally parallel reaches with one reach extending along the mid-point of the adjacent side of one of the passageways and the other reach of the chain extending midway along the adjacent side of the other passageway. Corresponding reaches of the chains have partition members secured therebetween and the partition members are mounted in such a manner as to be at least slightly oscillatable and urged into tight sliding engagement with the associated passageways by means of tension of the endless chains. The passageway having the smaller crosssectional area comprises the elevating passageway for elevating fish to the higher level and the passageway having the greater cross-sectional area comprises the return passageway or means for lowering fish to the lower level. In this manner, a greater downward thrust is applied to the partition members in the return passageway by the head pressure of water acting upon the upstream side of the partitions disposed in the return passageway than the pressure exerted by head pressure in the fish elevating passageway and the elevator thereby works somewhat in the manner of an undershot waterwheel with means being provided to admit fish to be elevated to the higher level or lowered to the lower level into the compartments defined between adjacent partition members.

United States Patent [191 Ogden FISH ESCALATOR [76] Inventor: Stanley E.Ogden, PO. Box 618,

Mill City, Oreg. 97362 22 Filed: Feb. 8, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 224,509

1,380,384 6/1921 Howard 1,722,596 7/1929 ROSS 61/21 1,903,627 4/1933Koch.. 61/21 2,683,969 7/1954 Mugnier 61/21 2,922,282 l/l96O Dohrer61/21 Primary Examiner-Mervin Stein Assistant Examiner-Philip C. KannanAttorney-Harvey B. Jacobson et al.

[5 7 ABSTRACT An enclosed endless conveyor-type fish elevator forcarrying fish upstream over or through a dam. The elevator includes apair of parallel tubular passageways having one set of identicalcorresponding transverse [111 3,783,623 [451 Jan. 8, 1974 dimensions anda second set of different corresponding dimensions. An endless chain isdisposed at each pair of corresponding sides of the passageways and eachchain is arranged in generally parallel reaches with one reach extendingalong the mid-point of the adjacent side of one of the passageways andthe other reach of the chain extending midway along the adjacent side ofthe other passageway. Corresponding reaches of the chains have partitionmembers secured therebetween and the partition members are mounted insuch a manner as to be at least slightly oscillatable and urged intotight sliding engagement with the associated passageways by means oftension of the endless chains. The passageway having the smallercrosssectional area comprises the elevating passageway for elevatingfish to the higher level and the passageway having the greatercross-sectional area comprises the return passageway or means forlowering fish to the lower level. In this manner, a greater downwardthrust is applied to the partition members in the return passageway bythe head pressure of water acting upon the upstream side of thepartitions disposed in the return passageway than the pressure exertedby head pressure inthe fish elevating passageway and the elevatorthereby works somewhat in the manner of an undershot waterwheel withmeans being provided to admit fish to be elevated to the higher level orlowered to the lower level into the compartments defined betweenadjacent partition members.

6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PAFENTEU JAN 81974 SHEEI 1 [If 3 FISHESCALATOR The fish elevator or escalator of the instant invention hasbeen designed to provide a means whereby fish may be passed through,over or around a dam, in either direction without requiring an outsidesource. Further, by the construction of the escalator it may be utilizedto generate power in addition to elevating fish and it is envisionedthat the elevator may have its basic operational features incorporatedinto various different forms of fish elevators.

The main object of this invention is to provide a fish elevator orescalator in order to pass fish over or through a dam and therebymaintain their way of life and propagation.

Another object of this invention is to provide an escalator inaccordance with the preceding objects which will be and which may, infact, be used to generate power fully without requiring an outsidesource of power. v

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an escalator inaccordance with the preceding objects that may be readily incorporatedinto dams being presently built as well as added to existing dams.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a fish escalatorwhich may be readily adjusted to determine its speed of operation.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein isto provide a fish escalator which will conform to conventional forms ofmanufacture, be of simple construction and automatic in operation so asto provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting andrelatively trouble free.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken through a dam with the fish escalatorof the instant invention operatively associated with the dam-for movingfish through the dam, both by escalation from the downstream side of thedam, through the dam and into the water at a higher elevation on theupstream side of the dam, and by deescalation from the upstream side ofthe dam, through the latter and into the water at the lower elevation onthe downstream side of the dam.

FIG. 2, is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the dam and thefish escalator;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially uponthe plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the lower downstream end of thefishzescalator; I

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one side of the lowerend of the escalator as seen from the inside thereof and illustratingthe manner in which the lower sprocket wheels of the escalator maybeadjusted in order to control the tension of the partition membersupporting chains of the escalator;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the mannerin which the partition members are supported from the endless chains ofthe escalator;

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the planeindicated by the section line 7-7 of FIG. 6; v

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicatedby the section line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating the manner inwhich the chains of the fish escalator are engaged with the sprocketwheels of the escalator at the points along the chains from which thepartition members of the escalator are supported; and

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. I but illustratinga modified form of fish escalator adapted to elevate fish completelyover the upper marginal portion of a dam.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10generally designates a darn behind which a body 12 of water iscontained. A second lower body 14 of water is disposed on the downstreamside of the dam and the latter has an upwardly inclined passageway 16formed therethrough.

The upper end of the passageway 16 is necked down as at 18 and opensthrough the rear face 20 of the dam 10 through a control gateassembly'referred to in general by the reference numeral 22 which may beclosed when desired.

The lower end of the passage 16 is continued outwardly of the front face24 of the dam 10 by means of a tubular inclined extension 26 terminatingat its lower end in a horizontally directed portion 28.

The passageway 16 and extension 26 define a pair of parallel passages 30and 32 which are rectangular in cross-section and vertically spacedrelative to each other with the passage 30 disposed above the passage32, see FIG. 3.

The width of the passages 30 and 32 is identical. However, the height ofthe passage 30 is at least slightly less than the height of the passage32 and the side walls 34 of the passage 30 as well as the side walls 36of the passage 32 have inwardly opening longitudinally extendingT-shaped grooves 38 formed therein;

The passages 30 and 32 are separated by means of a dividing wall 40extending substantially throughout the length of the passage 16 andthroughout the length of the extension 26.

The terminal ends of the side walls of the horizontally directed portion28 are guidingly supported for shifting longitudinally of thehorizontally directed portion 28 and referred to by the referencenumerals 42. The terminal ends 42 are adjustable in position by means ofjack screws 44 connected between the terminal ends 42 and the associatedside walls and a transverse shaft 46 is joumaled between the terminalends 42 and carries a pair of opposite end sprocket wheels 48 thereon.In addition, a similar pair of sprocket wheels 50 are journaled from thedam 10 adjacent the upper end of the passageway 16.

v A pair of endless chain assemblies 52 are trained over the sprocketwheels 48 and 50 and each chain assembly includes a plurality ofmounting links54 spaced therealong seatingly engageable with specificteeth 56 carried by the associated sprocket wheels 48 and 50. Themounting links 54 of the chain assemblies 52 are transversely alignedwith each other and each pair of aligned mounting links 54 supports apair of inwardly directed stub shafts 58 between whose adjacent ends apartition member 60 disposed in the corresponding passage is mounted.The stub shafts 58 are closely slidingly received through the narrowportions of the grooves 38 and the mounting links 54 include captiverollers 62 which are rollingly engaged with the upper and lower surfacesof the wide part of the corresponding groove 38. It is to be noted thatthe lower grooves 38 are slightly wider, from top to bottom, than thewider parts of the upper grooves 38 and therefore that while thepartitions 60 in the passage 32 are substantially disposed at rightangles to the centerline of the passage 32, the partitions 60 disposedin the passage 30 are more inclined. Of course, the ratio of thedifference in the height of the passages 30 and 32 is substantiallyequal to the difference in the distances between the surfaces of thegrooves 38 engaged by the rollers 62.

The upper and lower edge portions of the partitions 60 have captiverollers 64 journaled therefrom which are similar to the rollers 62 andthus the rollers 64 are rollingly engaged with the upper and lowersurfaces of the. passages 30 and 32.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIGS. 6 and 9 of thedrawings, it will be seen that the mounting links 54 are securedin thechain assembly 52 between adjacent chain sections 66 thereof in a mannersuch that tensioning of the chain assembly 52 will tend to maintain therollers 64 in tight rolling engagement with the upper and lower surfacesof the passages 30 and 32 and the rollers 62 of the mounting links 54 intight rolling engagement with the upper and lower surfaces of thegrooves 38.

After the desired tension of the chain assemblies 52 has been adjustedby shifting the terminal ends 42, the gate assembly 22 may be opened inorder to admit water from the body 12 into the upper end of thepassageway 16. The head pressure will be the same within the twopassages 30 and 32. The force acting upon the partitions 6 in the lowerpassage 32 with the greater cross sectional area will be greater thanthe force acting upon the partitions 60 in the upper passage 30 with thelesser cross sectional area and thus the chain assemblies 52 will becaused to orbit in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 ofthe drawings.

The horizontally directed portion 28 has a portion of its top wallremoved so as to define an upper opening 70 and fish may jump from thebody 14 into the water within the horizontally directed portion 28through the opening 70. Inasmuch as'the chain assemblies 52 are orbitingin a counterclockwise direction, some of the fish will be trappedadjacent partitions 60 in the passage 30 and conveyed upwardly to theupper end of the passageway 16 and swim out through the gate assembly 22into the body 12 at the higher level. It will of course be impossiblefor fish in the lower horizontally directed portion 28 to move upwardlythrough the passage 32 inasmuch as the partitions 60 therein are movingdownwardly therethrough. While some fish which are discharged from theupper end of the passage 30 may find their way down into the upper endof the lower passage 32, most of the fish will swim against the flow ofwater entering the upper end of the passage 16 and thus exit from thedam through the gate assembly 20 and into the body 12 of water.

tween adjacent partitions 60 and thus increase the efficiency or poweroutput of the escalator.

One end of the shaft 46 projects outwardly through the correspondingside wall of the horizontally directed portion 28 as at and drives awater pump 82 which pumps water through a throttle and/or shut-off valve84 operable to cause a resistance to the flow of the water acting as acontrolable resistance force against the force of the partitions 60 thuscontrolling the speed of orbit of the partitions 60. The valve 84includes a discharge nozzle 86 operative to spray a jet of water up intothe air for falling into the open part of the horizontally directedportion 28 and the adjacent portion of the body 14 of water. Thisfalling of water and the spent or excess water from the escalator willattract fish and induce the latter to jump over the lower end wall 88 ofthe horizontally directed portion 28 and into the latter for movementinto the passage 32.

Further, and especially when the drain openings 72 are utilized, theshaft end 80 may also be utilized to drive an electric generator inorder that useful power may also be developed from the escalator.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG. 10 of the drawings,there may be seen a modified form of escalator referred to in general bythe reference numeral 110 and which is generally similar to theescalator illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9, but differs in that the tworeaches of the chain assemblies 52 are supported from an elongatedhousing which curves up and over a dam 110 corresponding to the dam 10.The inlet end of the escalator is of course open at its lower partwithin the body 112 of water below the dam and the outlet end of theescalator 100 is open at its lower portion in the body 114 of waterupstream from the dam 110. Otherwise, the operation of the escalator 100is substantially identical to the operation of the escalator illustratedin FIGS. 1 through 9, excepting that the escalator 100 operates more onthe principle of a siphon rather than an undershot waterwheel.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction an operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a dam including upstream and downstream sides andwith which high and low water levels, respectively, are operativelyassociated, means establishing first and second closed communicationpassages between a high elevation on the upstream side of said dam and alower elevation on the downstream side of said dam and includingadjacent corresponding upper and lower ends, said passages includingmeans operative to convey water and objects suspended therein through.said first passage at a first rate from said upstream side of said damto said downstream side and through said second passage at a secondlower rate from said downstream side to said upstream side, said firstpassage being of greater cross-sectional area than said second passage,said means operative to convey water being wholly gravity operated andcomprising a plurality of spaced interconnected imperforate partitionsconnected together for simultaneous movement in train fashion andsupported for guided downward movement through said first passage andsubsequent upward movement through said second passage, said partitionsincluding peripheral edges in fluid seal forming engagement with thewalls of said passages, whereby the conveying of water and fish pastsaid dam in both directions may be effectedwithout the use of an outsidepower source, said passages establishing closed communication with theupstream side of said darn below said high water level.

2. In combination with a darn including upstream and downstream sides, afish escalator comprising means defining an elongated passage includingan inlet end disposed at a low elevation on the downstream side of thedam and an outlet end disposed at a higher elevation on the upstreamside of the darn, a plurality of partitions supported from said passagedefining means for movement through said passage in substantiallyconstant spaced relation relative to each other and in at leastreasonably good fluid sealing relation with the surfaces defining saidpassage, and means connected to said partitions for causing saidpartitions to move into the inlet end of said passage, through thelatter and out of the outlet end of said passage, said means definingsaid passage including means defining opposite side grooves extendingalong the opening into said passage, said means causing said partitionsto move through said passage comprising flexible tension membersextending through said lengthwise shiftable in said grooves, saidpartitions including opposite side portions thereof joined tocorresponding portions of said tension members, said flexible tensionmembers comprising corresponding reaches of a pair of endless flexibletension members, said fish escalator also including means defining asecond passage generally paralleling the firstmentioned passage andthrough which said partitions are lengthwise movable, said secondpassage also including opposite side grooves in which second reaches ofsaid endless flexible tension members are disposed, said means definingsaid passages including pairs of guide wheels at the corresponding endsof said passages and about which said endless tension members aretrained, the ends of said second passage corresponding to the inlet andoutlet ends of said first passage opening outwardly of said downstreamand upstream sides of said dam, said passages being of substantially thesame width, the transverse dimension of said first passage measured at90 relative to the width thereof being slightly less than thecorresponding transverse dimension of the second passage, said partitionmembers being slightly inclined relative to transverse planes extendingthrough said passages normal to the longitudinal centerlines thereof,the partitions in said firstmentioned passage being inclined moregreatly relative to the corresponding transverse planes than thepartitions in said second mentioned passage.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the downstream ends of saidpassages open into an upwardly opening compartment defined byupstandingwall portions including at least one upper marginal edgeportion disposed at an elevation approximately equal to the water levelon the downstream side of said dam.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said upper marginal portion iselevated at least slightly after the water level on said downstream sideof said dam.

5. The combination of claim 4 including average water levels on theupstream and downstream sides of said dam, the outlet end of saidpassage being disposed below the water level on said upstream side ofsaid dam and said inlet end of said passage being disposed below thewater level on the downstream side of said dam.

6. In combination with a dam including upstream and downstream sides, afish escalator comprising means defining an elongated passage includingan inlet end disposed at a low elevation on the downstream side of thedam and an outlet end disposed at a higher eleva tion on the upstreamside of the darn, a plurality of partitions supported from said passagedefining means for movement through said passage in substantiallyconstant spaced relation relative to each other and in at leastreasonably good fluid sealing relation with the surfaces defining saidpassage, and means connected-to said partitions for causing saidpartitions to move into the inlet end of said passage, through thelatter and out the outlet end of said passage, said means defining saidpassage including means defining opposite side grooves extending alongand opening into said passage, said means causing said partitions tomove through said passage comprising flexible tension members extendingthrough and lengthwise shiftable in said grooves, said partitionsincluding opposite side portions thereof joined to correspondingportions of said tension members, said flexible tension memberscomprising corresponding reaches of a pair of endless flexible tensionmembers, said fish escalator also including means defining a secondpassage generally paralleling the firstmentioned passage and throughwhich said partitions are lengthwise movable, said second passage alsoincluding opposite side grooves in which second reaches of said endlessflexible tension members are disposed, said means defining said passagesincluding pairs of guide wheels at the corresponding ends of saidpassages and about which said endless tension members are trained, theends of said second passage corresponding to the inlet and outlet endsof said first passage opening outward of said downstream and upstreamsides of said dam, said passages being of substantially the same width,the transverse dimension of said first passage measured at relative tothe width thereof being slightly less than the corresponding transversedimension of the second passage, said partition members being slightlyinclined relative to transverse planes extending through said passagesnormally to the longitudinal centerlines thereof, the partitions in saidfirstmentioned passage being inclined more greatly relative to thecorresponding transverse planes than the partitions in saidsecond-mentioned passage, means supporting said wheels from saidpassage-defining means for shifting at least one pair of said wheelsrelative to the other pair of said wheels in order to adjust the tensionof said endless tension members.

1. In combination with a dam including upstream and downstream sides andwith which high and low water levels, respectively, are operativelyassociated, means establishing first and second closed communicationpassages between a high elevation on the upstream side of said dam and alower elevation on the downstream side of said dam and includingadjacent corresponding upper and lower ends, said passages includingmeans operative to convey water and objects suspended therein throughsaid first passage at a first rate from said upstream side of said damto said downstream side and through said second passage at a secondlower rate from said downstream side to said upstream side, said firstpassage being of greater cross-sectional area than said second passage,said means operative to convey water being wholly gravity operated andcomprising a plurality of spaced interconnected imperforate partitionsconnected together for simultaneous movement in train fashion andsupported for guided downward movement through said first passage andsubsequent upward movement through said second passage, said partitionsincluding peripheral edges in fluid seal foRming engagement with thewalls of said passages, whereby the conveying of water and fish pastsaid dam in both directions may be effected without the use of anoutside power source, said passages establishing closed communicationwith the upstream side of said dam below said high water level.
 2. Incombination with a dam including upstream and downstream sides, a fishescalator comprising means defining an elongated passage including aninlet end disposed at a low elevation on the downstream side of the damand an outlet end disposed at a higher elevation on the upstream side ofthe dam, a plurality of partitions supported from said passage definingmeans for movement through said passage in substantially constant spacedrelation relative to each other and in at least reasonably good fluidsealing relation with the surfaces defining said passage, and meansconnected to said partitions for causing said partitions to move intothe inlet end of said passage, through the latter and out of the outletend of said passage, said means defining said passage including meansdefining opposite side grooves extending along the opening into saidpassage, said means causing said partitions to move through said passagecomprising flexible tension members extending through said lengthwiseshiftable in said grooves, said partitions including opposite sideportions thereof joined to corresponding portions of said tensionmembers, said flexible tension members comprising corresponding reachesof a pair of endless flexible tension members, said fish escalator alsoincluding means defining a second passage generally paralleling thefirst-mentioned passage and through which said partitions are lengthwisemovable, said second passage also including opposite side grooves inwhich second reaches of said endless flexible tension members aredisposed, said means defining said passages including pairs of guidewheels at the corresponding ends of said passages and about which saidendless tension members are trained, the ends of said second passagecorresponding to the inlet and outlet ends of said first passage openingoutwardly of said downstream and upstream sides of said dam, saidpassages being of substantially the same width, the transverse dimensionof said first passage measured at 90* relative to the width thereofbeing slightly less than the corresponding transverse dimension of thesecond passage, said partition members being slightly inclined relativeto transverse planes extending through said passages normal to thelongitudinal centerlines thereof, the partitions in said first-mentionedpassage being inclined more greatly relative to the correspondingtransverse planes than the partitions in said second mentioned passage.3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the downstream ends of saidpassages open into an upwardly opening compartment defined by upstandingwall portions including at least one upper marginal edge portiondisposed at an elevation approximately equal to the water level on thedownstream side of said dam.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein saidupper marginal portion is elevated at least slightly after the waterlevel on said downstream side of said dam.
 5. The combination of claim 4including average water levels on the upstream and downstream sides ofsaid dam, the outlet end of said passage being disposed below the waterlevel on said upstream side of said dam and said inlet end of saidpassage being disposed below the water level on the downstream side ofsaid dam.
 6. In combination with a dam including upstream and downstreamsides, a fish escalator comprising means defining an elongated passageincluding an inlet end disposed at a low elevation on the downstreamside of the dam and an outlet end disposed at a higher elevation on theupstream side of the dam, a plurality of partitions supported from saidpassage defining means for movement through said passage insubstantially constant spaced relation relative to each other and in atleast reasonably good fluid sealing relation with the surfaces definingsaid passage, and means connected to said partitions for causing saidpartitions to move into the inlet end of said passage, through thelatter and out the outlet end of said passage, said means defining saidpassage including means defining opposite side grooves extending alongand opening into said passage, said means causing said partitions tomove through said passage comprising flexible tension members extendingthrough and lengthwise shiftable in said grooves, said partitionsincluding opposite side portions thereof joined to correspondingportions of said tension members, said flexible tension memberscomprising corresponding reaches of a pair of endless flexible tensionmembers, said fish escalator also including means defining a secondpassage generally paralleling the first-mentioned passage and throughwhich said partitions are lengthwise movable, said second passage alsoincluding opposite side grooves in which second reaches of said endlessflexible tension members are disposed, said means defining said passagesincluding pairs of guide wheels at the corresponding ends of saidpassages and about which said endless tension members are trained, theends of said second passage corresponding to the inlet and outlet endsof said first passage opening outward of said downstream and upstreamsides of said dam, said passages being of substantially the same width,the transverse dimension of said first passage measured at 90* relativeto the width thereof being slightly less than the correspondingtransverse dimension of the second passage, said partition members beingslightly inclined relative to transverse planes extending through saidpassages normally to the longitudinal centerlines thereof, thepartitions in said first-mentioned passage being inclined more greatlyrelative to the corresponding transverse planes than the partitions insaid second-mentioned passage, means supporting said wheels from saidpassage-defining means for shifting at least one pair of said wheelsrelative to the other pair of said wheels in order to adjust the tensionof said endless tension members.